Sweet Nocturne
by Nalonzo
Summary: Rini vows to find her nightly visitor and gets tangled up in a whirlwind of trouble, getting her mother's court mixed up in the affairs as well...
1. Dreamy Rendezvous

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sailor Moon, but I do own this storyline.

**Chapter 1: Dreamy Rendezvous**

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He kissed every inch of her face and pulled back to stare at her. They were on the soft grass underneath a grand tree by the bubbling brook. The moonlight shone through the iridescent leaves, bounced off the running water, and illuminated her beautiful features, which seemed right in place with the rays. Her lips were full and swollen, and her pale face was tinged with a light pink blush, which resembled the color of her hair. Her long locks were freed from the odd buns they were usually in and pooled all around her attractively, shining and moving along with her. Her eyes were still closed and her breathing was ragged. Her chest heaved up and down under his weight, and her slinky nightgown hiked past her thighs, revealing incredibly long and shapely legs.

"Rini…" he said, before lowering his head to kiss her swan-like neck. He blazed a hot trail down to the extremely low cut of her nightgown. He stopped again and kissed the crescent moon that was glowing on the middle of her forehead. She felt a large hand slowly trail up her thigh, hitching the dress higher. His other hand gently touched her cheek. He called her name again.

"Open your eyes, darling..." his voice was beginning to trail off.

With a sudden stab of panic, she opened her eyes immediately. Then she saw them. Those amber eyes, so deep and so faint. She felt herself drowning in them, and then her vision blurred some more. The panic rose in her stomach; she was losing him again. She felt her surroundings disappearing, she felt the world tilting, she felt like she was falling...

THUMP.

She landed ungracefully on her back, her pillows and silk blanket tangled around her body on the floor. She groaned at the bright sunlight that shone through the drawn curtains of her huge windows. Reluctantly, her eyes opened to see the brilliant face of none other than the queen.

"Morning, mother."

"Good morning, Small Lady." The queen smiled down at her daughter, who was still on the floor, looking rather unladylike. She held her hand out, waiting for Rini to grab it. Rini blinked a couple more times and hoisted herself up with her mother's hand. She didn't bother to straighten her nightgown; she gave her mother a peck on a cheek and turned to go to her bathroom, before she could smack her for waking her up in the middle of her... dream rendezvous.

"Did I disturb a pleasant dream?" asked Neo-Queen Serenity, as if reading Rini's thoughts.

Rini stopped dead in her tracks and turned around slowly. _Oh gods, does she know?_ She inwardly panicked. She saw the teasing look in her mother's face and gulped. "I – I don't remember now."

A delicate eyebrow shot up. "Really now? I heard you mumbling from outside, and you were blushing in your sleep." At this, Serenity smiled.

_She can't know –_ "Blushing? I don't... remember... what I was dreaming about, mama." Rini gave her best confused look, along with a head scratch. Her eyes traveled upwards as if searching deep within the confines of her brain for any remnants of her dream.

Serenity stared at her for a while, and Rini was beginning to get really uncomfortable under her thoughtful gaze. "Very well." She said at last. Rini visibly relaxed. "Don't stay up too late and don't eat too many sweets before retiring to bed. They tend to over-stimulate the brain, so they say. Get dressed now, we'll wait for you downstairs." She smiled at her and Rini smiled back; it was a strange inclination to smile back genuinely whenever Serenity smiled at you. She turned to leave the room.

As soon as she heard the soft click of the closed door, Rini let out her breath which she had unconsciously been holding. _Sweets over-stimulate the brain? Better ask Amy about that._ She had been having these highly sensual dreams for the past month now. And they had always ended with them (she and her dream lover) on the ground, him telling her to open her eyes, and the moment she did, everything went away and she'd wake up, either naturally or by her environment (e.g. her mother, her maid, annoying chirping birds, etc.) The first few nights she had dismissed them to be the overactive imaginations of young twenty-one-year-old virgin ladies, until he kept on visiting and the dreams became more passionate. The second week, she made up her mind that when he'd tell her to open her eyes (which she unwillingly kept closed), she wouldn't, just to see what would happen. But it wouldn't work; her eyes would open by themselves, and she'd wake up sweaty and frustrated.

_Who is this guy?_ Rini knew these dreams mean something, not just hot foreplay. She knew his body by now; her dreams felt very real. She knew the contour of his muscled back, the broadness of his hard chest, the feel of his thick, wavy hair which felt feather-light at the same time. She knew his hands too; the times when they weren't on any other part of her body, she was holding them. They were hard but not rough, gentle yet determined. She absolutely loved the feel of them. Another thing she loved was his voice. It was a thick, rich, deep baritone that seemed to her like warm, melted chocolate of the sweetest kind. _That's probably the over-stimulating "sweet" my mother was talking about_, she giggled. His voice echoed through her head, sending sharp thrills up her spine: _"Open your eyes, darling…"_

_Darling. I'm his darling. _A scowl appeared on her face. _I'm nobody's darling! _A thoughtful look replaced the scowl. _I don't even know who he is...I think I do, it's just so blurry..._

One thing for sure though is the eyes. His amber-colored eyes with a hint of gold. Rini thought she'd never seen such beautiful, soul-wrenching eyes. They seemed so familiar, and they were the only things that she saw of him with her eyes open. She doesn't know what color his hair is, what his skin tone is, how tall he is... all she knew for sure were the eyes.

_I'll find out who you are... sooner or later._

She tugged at some strings and the slinky nightgown traveled down to her feet. She could still feel the warmth of the man's hand on her thigh. She blushed shortly and tied her long hair into a single, messy bun high on her head. She stepped into the tub and hissed as the hot water snapped at her shins. She lowered herself slowly and inhaled the soft scent of roses from the water. She just sat there, pondering, having that dreamy yet concentrated look on her face.

"Small Lady!" A disgruntled-looking Diana walked into the bathroom, snapping Rini out of her trance. "We're waiting for you." She said as a loud grumble erupted from her stomach.

"Oh shit! I'm sorry! Wait, five minutes! I'll be done!" Rini stammered, forgetting all etiquette, for that was not entirely necessary in the presence of one of her closest friends and trusted Mau guardian. She quickly soaped up and washed her hair, and was toweling herself dry as Diana pulled out a simple, yet elegant white dress made for the hot, stuffy days of summer.

"Thanks," she smiled as she slipped into the dress and Diana helped arrange her hair into their customary style of the moon fashion.

"Hmm, you didn't wash well enough, Rini," Diana stated nonchalantly while she smoothed out the long streamers of pink locks from the two buns. "You've got a little bit of grass in your hair."


	2. Retreat in the Forest

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon.

**AN:** In this time of Crystal Tokyo, Endymion's guardians, the Shitennou (Kunzite, Nephrite, Jadeite, Zoisite) were reincarnated into their former selves, free from any influence of the Dark Kingdom. They serve alongside the Senshi to Endymion and Serenity.

**Chapter 2: Retreat in the ****Forest**

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_Grass? I didn't even go out yesterday. Wait, maybe I did… Argh I can't remember! _Rini stopped trying to tie a ribbon in place on her dress while she thought hard about any activities she could have done outdoors yesterday. _Breakfast…slept…lunch… took afternoon siesta…woke up…read book…tea with Raye…Dinner…what happened after that? Did I go to the gard—_

"Rini? Are you alright?" Diana's voice snapped her out of her train of thought once again. She had a very concerned look on her pretty face.

"Sorry, Di, I've just been spacing out a lot. Didn't get that much sleep I guess," Rini gave a little smile and went back to tying that annoying ribbon. She looked up to see Diana giving her a skeptical look. "What?" Diana stayed quiet for a few moments. _Oh no, can she sense it? Cats have the sixth sense, what if_— 

Diana reached out and retied the sloppy ribbon adorning Rini's dress. "There you go." She smiled. Rini smiled back, cheeks burning pink. "Let's go, mustn't keep the Queen waiting, especially in matters of food."

~*~*~*~

Rini entered into an almost-empty dining room; only her parents and the Lady Mina were present at the dining table. She curtseyed and gave them each a quick peck on the cheek.

"Morning, sweetie." King Endymion said. He smiled at her as she took her seat beside Diana.

"Morning, Dad. Morning, Mina." Rini yawned, grabbed a piece of toast, and sprinkled a little bit of sugar on it.

"My, my, what've you been up to, Princess? You look awfully tired." Mina winked at her from across the table and beamed one of her brilliant smiles that lit up any room.

"Couldn't sleep last night," Rini automatically answered. She smiled back at Mina. _Why is everyone so smiley-smiley today?_ She took a bite from her sugary toast.

"I mean you're glowing. It's that nice glow one gets after a good workout." Mina eyed her carefully. "Odd, I don't remember seeing you out of the castle or at any of the training areas, though."

"It's probably from my bath. I've been taking hot baths more frequently." _Ooh, that was lame. _"Where is everyone?" she asked, desperately wanting to change the topic.

"They're all busy working on something. Raye has been having those bad vibes of hers for the past few days, she's at the temple right now," Serenity answered.

"Are you sure? Maybe it's Lord Jadeite." Rini joked. They all gave hearty laughs.

"He can certainly get to her. I've never seen her so worked up by anyone else before, especially by a man." Endymion said.

"That's just what she needs, anyway." Serenity chuckled. "Anyway, Luna and Artemis are meeting with some ambassadors. Ami's at the lab with Zoisite trying to see if there has been any disturbance in our surroundings on account of Raye's bad vibes, and Lita–"

"–is here!" Lita entered the room from the kitchen door, holding a plate of steaming, just-baked cookies. She greeted them all and walked over to Rini and Diana. She smiled down at them. "These are for you guys. For Rini because you've been sluggish, and for Diana to catch up with Rini in the mornings."

Diana giggled. "Thanks, Lita. I've been in desperate need of an energy-booster."

Rini scoffed. "I'm not _that _lazy. I've just been… preoccupied." She stuffed a cookie into her mouth, reminding Lita of the tiny Rini that came from the future a long, long time ago. "Mmm! These are good! Thanks, Lita."

"Don't mention it. I'm going to go riding; the air's really crisp today." She announced to the table.

"Oh! I'll go with you!" Rini said. It's been a while since she last saw her stallion. She'd been going around the castle in a zombie-like state, thinking of… "I'll get dressed first!" She stuffed some more cookies into her mouth and gulped down her orange juice. 

Endymion watched with an amused face and thought of how much his daughter and wife were so much alike. Serenity reached out and grabbed a handful of cookies for herself. "Oh, be back by dinner though, everyone should be here. Kunzite and Nephrite are returning from their mission, so it'll be our first complete dinner in a while," she said. She smiled as she saw Lita's and Mina's faces brighten.

"Yes, mom! I'll see you out at the stables, Lita. You don't have to come, Di, rest first! Bye, everyone!" Rini sped upstairs and dressed into her riding clothes quickly. As she pulled on her boots, she stared outside her window. _This is just what I need… to get out and get some fresh air._

She ran swiftly down to the stables where her stallion neighed loudly as he caught sight of her.

~*~*~*~

Rini closed her eyes as the wind rushed around her, making her hair dance wildly behind her. She listened to the loud galloping of their horses on the ground; Lita's especially, sounding much like thunder. She was right ahead of Rini since she knew the terrain better than she did. Rini opened her eyes and saw Lita's long ponytail swish rhythmically in the breeze.

"Where are we going?" she asked her. She felt stupid that the thought only occurred to her now.

"There's this place that I found just a few weeks ago; it's beautiful! It's completely secluded inside the forest, but not too far in. We're near now." Lita answered as her horse picked up its pace and dashed into the forest. Rini was right on her heels.

They twisted left, and then right, and then they stopped for a while at a fork, and Lita ignored the paths and led her horse through the trees. Rini frowned but followed anyway. They slowed down to a trot, and the trees were getting thicker and thicker. The light was from above was getting smaller through the density of the tree tops. Just when Rini was beginning to doubt, Lita swept a huge leaf out of the way and a great amount of sunshine blinded Rini for half a moment.

She blinked. She blinked a few more times. She rubbed her eyes with her hands.

"What's the matter, sweetie? Too much sun caught in your eyes?" Lita asked.

Rini was speechless. She stared at the little secluded area Lita had been talking about. She couldn't believe that in the middle of an ocean of thick trees lay this small yet utterly beautiful oasis. The sun shone right above on this cloudless day, brightening the features of this little haven. But it wasn't the mere beauty that caught Rini. She felt a great wave of déjà vu wash over her.

_I know this place…_

In the middle of the area stood a lone gargantuan, majestic oak tree. The grass around was fine and looked very soft, adorned with little, pretty flora here and there. And nearby, a bubbling brook with crystal clear water reflected the rays of the striking sun.

- * - * -

This was for MistressBlu, yumeusa, and Fairly Fiendish, my first reviewers; thank you so much for reviewing!

- _Sorry if the story's going a bit slow, I promise much better upcoming chapters_ -


	3. Off Beam

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon.

**Chapter 3: Off Beam**

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Lita got off her horse and walked towards the gigantic oak tree. She placed a palm on the trunk and stood there for a while, admiring its rough texture. She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh scent of the earth around her, liking the way it made her head rush. She turned around to see Rini still perched on top of her steed, staring open-mouthed at the place. She walked slowly towards her.

"Rini? Rini? Princess? Small Lady?" Lita frowned as Rini kept on staring. She pinched her arm.

"Ow!" Rini hissed. "Aw, Lita! That hurt!" She rubbed the pinched spot which was now turning red.

"Sorry, Princess. You were zoning out again. Eh, I know this place is pretty and all, but it's not exactly something to ogle at for five minutes." Lita smiled and walked back towards the tree. Rini hopped off her horse and followed her.

She stopped at a place right in front of the brook where the earth seemed to dent to make a soft clearing. She kneeled and ran her fingers through the grass. _It's so soft, like in my dream. _Rini sat down facing the brook and watched as yellow butterflies glided over the running water. Lita sat down beside her.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Lita asked, watching the butterflies as well. Rini just nodded. Lita faced her. "Are you alright? It's not like you to be awfully quiet."

Rini broke her view of the butterflies and turned to face Lita, her crimson-colored eyes huge with uncertainty. _Can I tell her? Should I tell her? I feel like I'm gonna burst if I don't get to talk about this to someone else, _Rini thought as Lita looked at her intensely. Her cheeks reddened. _What am I supposed to say? 'Lita, I've been having dreams of making out with this guy right here in this spot we're sitting at for the past month. Tell me that's normal.' _Her brows furrowed.

"Rini? What's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?" Lita asked concernedly.

Rini hesitated. "I—I, uh, well…"

"Yes?"

An uncomfortable silence dawned upon them, which was quickly interrupted by a loud rumble.

Rini's face turned a bright red. "I—I'm hungry, Lita! Isn't it lunchtime?"

Lita just realized that the loud rumble came from Rini's stomach. She laughed. "Gods, sweetie, I thought it was something important! And yes, its lunchtime already, do you wanna go back to the castle?"

"Uh, no… I mean, Mom said we don't have to be back till dinner, so…"

"Yeah, when you're here it's like you don't wanna leave, huh? It's alright; I'll go pick some berries nearby. You just sit here and rest, okay? Poor you, we should've packed some sandwiches or something before we left. I'll be right back." Lita quickly got up and disappeared into the forest.

Rini collapsed onto the grass and let out a huge, long sigh. _Saved by my insatiable hunger. It's a sign. I'm not supposed to tell anyone. _She pondered on the subject a few more moments while watching the clouds slowly pass by, blocking the sun. _If I do tell anyone, will he disappear?_ Rini frowned and felt her appetite going away. _Do I want that?_

The sun's rays slipped from the fluffy clouds and struck Rini's face, blinding her again for half a moment. She shut her eyes, inwardly cursing at the sun. She suddenly felt very drowsy. _Ugh, these lazy summer days…_

She opened her eyes and quickly sat up. She still felt a little sleepy. She looked around and relaxed as she saw the two magnificent horses grazing nearby. Lita must still be getting some berries.

SNAP.

Her head whipped around so fast she was surprised she didn't break her neck. Expecting Lita or some wild animal in place of the twig snap, her senses went down as she suddenly felt her throat tighten and her heartbeat speed up. She all of a sudden felt drowsy again. Her eyelids were getting heavy but she refused to close them, for here she was, drowning in those amber depths which haunted her every night. She was finally facing _him_, in broad daylight! She will not slip away so easily now.

She tried to move her arms but they felt very heavy. Her vision was beginning to blur rapidly. She could make out the crown of fine silvery hair on his head and the pale coloring of his skin. He was very handsome, even in her semi-blurry vision. Her heartbeat quickened some more and she felt sleepier. It was a very unusual feeling, but Rini liked it. Her eyelids were half closed now. She felt him staring back at her.

"My darling," he murmured. She could hear echoes of his voice yet she felt his hot breath on her cheek; he was very close, and she was slipping. As she expected, his sensual voice sent a tingling chill up her spine. "You came to me."

She felt a blush creep up her cheeks again, and she tried to say something but she couldn't. She couldn't open her mouth, she couldn't move her arms, her eyes were almost completely closed now. She was frozen, and she didn't know why. Her blurred vision of him was wholly obstructed as she felt her eyelids close shut. She suddenly found it hard to breathe; she gasped for some air.

And then he kissed her, softly. Rini's mind went wild. Her senses blurred altogether in a frenzy. Then, something astounding happened; she felt a gust of cold air enter her lungs and her throat loosened. It was like he gave her the air she needed. He broke the kiss slowly and she was able to breathe normally again. He was holding her tightly against him, her face was nestled against his neck and his arms were supporting her as she leaned against him, both of them still sitting on the ground.

She felt his arms laying her on the grass carefully. She felt very light-headed. She felt him holding her hands, just like in her dreams. She tried to open her eyes again, but they wouldn't obey. But her voice did.

"Who—who are you?" she asked quietly.

He didn't answer right away. She felt his hand brush her forehead. "Open your eyes, and you'll see…" his voice was beginning to trail away again.

Rini felt the familiar stab of panic, and her eyes opened, but she saw all black. The man's warmth was gone, his presence no where near. She reached out to the darkness, fear taking hold of her. She was falling, and she opened her mouth to let out a scream…

"RINI!"

Rini's eyes opened abruptly. The sun was blocked again, the brook was still bubbling, the horses neighed. She sat up and hugged Lita, who had been trying to wake her. Rini was shivering like mad.

"Oh, Selene! Lita, thank goodness you came!" She buried her head into the taller woman's shoulder, and Lita hugged her back, trying her best to stop the shivering.

"Rini, what happened, sweetie? When I arrived you must've dozed off, but your hands were outstretched. You wouldn't wake up until—"

"I don't know, Lita, I don't know… but I was falling… and…" her voice died down, and tears started streaming down her face. _That felt so bad…_

They sat there for a while; Lita trying to comfort the crying princess, as the clouds began to gather in the horizon.

"We'd better head back; looks like it's gonna rain." Lita said.

-*-*-

_- I know, it's obvious who this "mystery guy" is huh? :-) But what happened? Hmm…Hope you guys liked this chapter, much more mystery coming up! -_


	4. Self Doubt

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon.

**Chapter 4: Self-Doubt**

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Serenity threw her arms around herself as a piercing chill ran throughout her body from inside her chest, spreading till her toes felt frozen and her head pounded with pain. She shut her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth as her body temperature dropped a few more degrees. The pounding increased by the second and she fell on her knees in writhing agony. She clutched her head and was about to scream, until the chill suddenly disappeared as fast as it came. 

Serenity was on all fours on the ground, trying to catch her breath. She grabbed onto her chair and gathered herself up shakily, still breathing hard. She looked into the mirror and caught sight of her face, which was now extremely pale, her blue eyes huge with surprise, her mouth slightly trembling from the sheer force of the chill that overtook her for a few seconds. Thunder rumbled in the sky outside, announcing the coming of a storm. She closed her eyes and willed her mind to clear.

_Rini._

~*~*~*~

The fire blazed higher and snapped with an almost palpable viciousness. Raye opened her eyes and looked into the flame, not being affected by the intense heat it radiated throughout the darkened room. After a moment's time she closed her eyes again and tried to 'see' the image the dancing flares of red, orange, and yellows had to offer to her. She was beginning to sweat with the intensity of her concentration, until an image appeared for a millisecond.

_Pink?_ She thought questioningly. Her brows furrowed and she tried to look deeper into the fire. This time a succession of images appeared in a very quick blur; Raye saw flashes of pink, amber, and yellow. _The yellow was undoubtedly the moon,_ she thought, recognizing the sliver of the color in the familiar crescent shape. And then she felt the fire go out. The dancing hot colors in her mind turned to a cold, ominous black. She felt a presence right behind her; her eyes shot open and in one breath she grabbed her hidden dagger and readied to threaten the stranger. A strong grip around her wrist stopped her just as quickly.

"Hey—hey! It's me!" the presence cried out.

Raye's vision cleared and she looked up to see cerulean eyes. She saw that her blade was dangerously close to the man's chest, shivering in place by his firm hand which was holding her back. She dropped the dagger and took a deep breath.

"Of all the times to sneak up on me! Jadeite, you are intolerable!" she screamed. As she her temper rose so did the fire behind her respond by flickering brighter and higher. _The fire—it's still alive?_ Raye whirled around to see her sacred fire still burning as before. _That's impossible, I felt it go out. What the hell happened?_ Her thoughts were interrupted quickly.

"Sneak up on you? Hell, _nobody_ sneaks up on you! It's virtually improbable; you sense auras a mile away! What's happening to you? You're probably just stressed. I think the heat's finally getting to you. I—Raye? Raye?" Jadeite's frenzy diminished as he saw the worried expression on the fire senshi's face. He went beside her and held her hand. 

"Raye." He said, shaking her. She stood still. He shook her a few more times until he felt his infamous impatience kick back in. "Hey, Pyro! Wake up!" He held both her shoulders and shook her silly.

Raye's couldn't ignore him any longer. "Jed, stop it!" She gave him a slap on the arm and backed up, feeling very peeved that her meditations were disturbed by the person for whom she uncontrollably had the shortest temper span on.

Jadeite rubbed his arm and gave her an annoyed look. "Well, sorry for being concerned, Raye." He had gone through the whole agonizing week in the farther regions of the Earth to settle some foreign affairs, looking forward only to seeing her again. He decided this was not the time he anticipated the week for and turned to leave. _It's probably that time of the month, _he thought callously. As his feet were about to take action to exit the room, he felt himself being flipped and then pinned to the hard ground. Raye flung a leg over and sat down on him. She looked down at his surprised face and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I was just in a rut again. The images are getting vaguer and harder for me to interpret. I think I'm losing my touch." Raye said sadly. She leaned down and kissed him, her dark hair trailing over and tickling Jadeite's face. She broke the kiss as she felt herself being flipped over onto the floor. Jadeite was now hovering over her.

"It's alright, but you could've just said so. Then again, that would've been boring." He grinned and started kissing her neck. He felt her push his head back up.

"I'm serious, Jed. I feel something big rising—" Jadeite's face cracked into his mischievous grin. "—No, not you." He became all serious again. "I feel some dark energy approaching. At first it was a small latent tinge but now it's as if it exploded. There's something bad coming up and I can't seem to grasp it." She finally said, her eyes filled with distress.

Jadeite stayed quiet for a few moments. "They've probably set up shields against your powers. Or the whole kingdom's, in that matter. That'd have to be some seriously strong force. It's not Metallia?"

Raye shook her head.

Jadeite relaxed. "Right. Then it's something we can take. We've—I mean, _you've _defeated her before. I don't think there's been as much power in any of our other foes that even came close to hers, and you and the senshi killed her. Don't worry, we can get this." Raye still didn't seem to be soothed by his reassuring words. Jadeite sighed. "Look, we'll go tell Sere, Endy, and the rest of them. We'll figure something out." He stood up and held his hand out for her, only to be pulled back down on top of her.

"Thank you, Jed." Raye smiled up at him while she held on to the collar of his uniform. She hugged him tightly. "I missed you."

_Aha! I knew a week would've been just enough. _Jadeite propped himself on his elbows, with Raye still under him, and kissed her fervently. "Hey, you're really warm," he said, feeling her neck and face with his un-gloved hands. Her kimono fell off one side to reveal a white shoulder. His trademark naughty grin appeared on his face. "Let's get you out of this, shall we?"

~*~*~*~

The rain poured down steadily outside. From her bed, Rini watched the droplets make their jagged trails down her window, seemingly entranced. Her face showed a blank stupor and she was still shivering not just from the cool of the air on her wet skin, but from her cold fear from falling in her dream as well. Her room was dark and gloomy, like the weather outside. She thought it reflected her inner confusion and disorder as well. 

_Hell no, I'm way beyond confused. I feel helpless, _she thought contemptuously. She hated that feeling; it reminded her too much of when she was sent to the past for her senshi training and failed to save or even protect many others because of her inadequate strength. Her mother told her many times it wasn't her fault and in the end she turned out better than ever expected. Still, Rini wasn't consoled. She hated being the crybaby, and at some times, being the princess. She wanted to be a true senshi and woman in mind, body, and soul. She sighed. _I've got a looong way to go._

A stream of yellow light from the hallway patched on the dark floor as her chamber doors opened. Rini recognized the tall and womanly form of Lita with her high ponytail bouncing gracefully behind her. She walked in with some of the cookies she made that morning and a glass of milk, and closed the door gently. Rini looked up at her. _She's always there to rescue me. I wish I had her strength._

Lita placed the tray next to Rini and sat down on her other side. She hugged her softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Rini lied. "Thanks, Lita." She smiled meaningfully at her. _Gosh I hate lying to her all the time like this._

"Sure sweetie." Lita returned her smile with a sweet, big-sisterly one. She looked out the window. "Weird thing. I didn't feel it coming." She said, remarking about the thunder and lightning that flashed through the dark clouds. They stayed quiet for a while.

The sound of fast, loud high-heeled footsteps rushing down the hallway disrupted the silence. Once again the yellow lights of the hallway pooled into the dark room when the door opened. Rini turned her head and she could see the ever familiar odd buns and shapely figure of the Queen, flanked with the pretty butterfly wing-like ribbon on the back of her dress. Serenity walked into the dim room and softly closed the door. She walked towards the bed. Rini marveled at how her mother radiated her own silvery, moonlike glow, lighting up the room a bit. _Or maybe it's just her silver hair,_ she added. As the moon queens mature their hair turns silver, with maybe a hint of soft lavender, just like Serenity's mother's was. Rini thought it was rather pretty and added that extra bit of sophistication.

Lita stood up and walked towards Serenity, patted her shoulder briefly, and exchanged knowing smiles, before she left the room. The Queen looked at Rini, turned towards the nearby couch, got the woven blanket draped over it, and wrapped it around the shivering form of her daughter. _How can someone so strong be so soft at the same time? _Rini asked inwardly, her insecurity escalating. She clutched onto the blanket tightly, and she felt a bit soothed.

Rini loved this particular blanket. She and her mother painstakingly wove it themselves about eleven years ago, when she came back from the past. Considering their lack of satisfactory skill, it turned out beautifully: a brilliant white Pegasus on a rich indigo. Rini looked at Serenity, who was now sitting beside her. Rini then noticed the look she had on her face. It was a look of severe maternal worry.

_Oh no, she knows._

-*-*-  
_-Sorry for the delay! The title of this chapter applied mostly to Rini (obviously), I just wanted to get some other action in here with the senshi and shitennou ^.~ Wellz, things will be clearer in the next chapter. Jus gotta get them outta my head and onto paper properly!-_


	5. Attempt

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon

**Chapter 5: Attempt**

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"Rini…" Serenity inched closer to her daughter.

"Yes, Mother?" Rini began to feel a little nervous.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" Serenity asked, unknowingly repeating Lita's question earlier that day. Rini looked down at her lap, unsure of what to say or do. "I felt it too, you know."

Rini then looked up at her mother. "You… you felt what?"

"You were in distress. Something happened to you." Serenity replied calmly.

Rini stayed quiet. Finally, she decided. If her mother felt it, it must be something important. She had to tell her. She wanted to tell her. She looked at her mother's concerned eyes and sighed. "Well, I—"

KNOCK KNOCK. The Moon royals turned towards the door as Amy walked in.

"Sorry, Serenity, Rini. But something's come up from the labs. There's been a raid on the outer west regions of Crystal Tokyo and they're approaching the castle." Amy reported smoothly, with a cool look on her face.

Serenity nodded and turned to Rini. "We'll continue this later."

"But—"

"Change your clothes and rest in the meantime."

"No, but I want to come—"

"Not this time, Rini. You've been drained. Get some rest first, please." Serenity said in a final tone. She stood up and followed Amy out of the door.

Rini sat on her bed for a few more minutes. Her annoyance at her mother slowly went away as she pondered once again on the day's events. It was all too much of a coincidence that she went through that horrible experience at the same time now that Crystal Tokyo is being attacked. She had something to do with this, she felt it. She's a 'link' of some sort. Maybe someone was trying to contact her. Or worse, someone's trying to use her. She frowned at the thought. It reminded her of when the Dark Moon brainwashed her into fighting against the senshi. _I will _not_ be used again._

With that, she went to her bathroom to take a much needed hot bath.

~*~

The conference room was assembled with the royal couple, Lita, Mina, Amy, and Zoisite. Raye and Jadeite followed not too long later. As they settled in, Serenity began.

"How did they break through our shields?" she asked.

"A great amount of force was used, Serena." Zoisite answered. "They got through the earth's global shield very quickly, in three minutes to be exact. They managed to puncture a hole the size of Texas in it. As for the city shields, they got through just as quickly. This all happened in the span of half an hour."

"How big is their legion?" Lita asked.

"Small. Very small. Only about five hundred men, as our scout reported."

"I don't understand. Why weren't we given any indication that they were near? Didn't our radars pick them up?" Mina asked.

"That's the problem. They came by undetected. Nothing came up on the radar until the global shields were damaged. It took another fifteen minutes for us to track them."

"Right. Zoi and I inspected the machines and it turns out that they've been sabotaged. When we fixed them the troop was picked up on the radar. But it couldn't identify them." Amy added.

"So we have a traitor in our midst." Mina concluded.

"Yes. We suspect it might be one from the labs since only a select few other than us are allowed to enter."

"We will get to that later. What of the raid?" asked Serenity.

"Artemis has sent some of our legions over to see to it." Zoisite said.

"But if that foreign troop was able to break through our shields, they must be very strong. Surely our own troops won't be able to hold against them." Jadeite alleged. "You said they were approaching the castle?"

Zoisite nodded an affirmative. "Their strength has yet to be tested on the battlegrounds. After the shields broke down only the small legion proceeded to the raid."

"We need to get Kunzite and Nephrite back here as soon as possible." Endymion stated. "We need to be complete to discuss this matter any further. Right now, civilians are at stake." The rest of the group nodded. Then, Luna appeared at the door.

"Majesties, senshi, generals," she acknowledged. She paused for a while to catch her breath. The room waited in silence. "The enemy has retreated." They still kept silent.

"The enemy has retreated?" Mina repeated questioningly.

Luna nodded, eyeing them warily. "Is that not good news?"

"No, no. I mean, that's very odd."

"Odd indeed." Raye finally spoke. The group turned to her. "I sensed their presence, but I wasn't sure of what they came for. My visions were blurred. They obviously attacked Crystal Tokyo for you, Serena, but there are other things concerned with this." She stood up. "They want something else. They've got a very strong force in them. They probably have a mothership somewhere nearby. The five hundred men they sent are nothing compared to what I sensed is to arrive. They're going to come back. Stronger."

"So that raid. Was that just, to crudely put it, practice?" Lita asked.

Raye shrugged. "Most probably. To test our rudimentary troops."

"Right then. I'll fix the shields."

"I'll go with Amy. To fix the shields."

"I'll call Kunz and Neph."

"I'll dig up some more information."

"I'll round the battalions for a city watch."

The group was ready to disband.

"Stop!"

They turned to face the queen. "Don't forget then, dinner is in an hour." She smiled. They smiled back.

~*~

She frowned as a cold, moist breeze found its way through the window, lifted the curtains, and swirled around the room, touching down on her skin. She shivered greatly. The temperature must have dropped a considerable amount to have been that cold. Summer rain was usually very warm. The thought was quickly dismissed and Rini swept her long hair up into that single messy bun atop of her head and slinked into the tub full of scented, steaming water. She lit some candles at the lining, closed her eyes, and relaxed. _I spoil myself way too much lately._

Another breeze, colder than the previous one, crept through the windows and made her shiver once more. The storm must be getting worse. The grumbling of thunder surprised her. She was then compelled to look outside her window. Yet another breeze, stronger this time, lifted her curtains way up and blew out her candles, bringing the bathroom to semi-darkness. Lightning flashed outside.

_Shit! Just what I needed._

She readied to get out of the tub when someone came softly knocking on the door. "It's alright! I'm OK here!" she assured the person who she assumed would be Diana.

The knocking didn't cease. Rini wrapped her silk robe around herself and called out exasperatedly, "Who is it?" 

No answer.

She grunted and walked towards the door. She opened it and saw no one on the other side. She looked around her room. She used her senses to reach out for any nearby presence. None. She walked to the middle of her room. There, a tingle was starting through her senses. _Someone's here. _Her scarlet eyes roamed around her room cautiously, scanning through her bed, couches, desk, tables, vases, until nothing showed up. But the tingle was still there. She gritted her teeth in frustration. _Argh! Come on, find it! _She began to walk around slowly, perking her senses. She felt the water dripping off her body onto the marble floor. She felt the curtains still being lifted by the winds in her bathroom. She felt the rain still falling outside. 

The tingle, which started somewhere at the back of her mind, somewhere on the left side, was slowly becoming more known, centering itself in her senses. She stopped at the place where the tingle was most prominent. She was soaking her rug wet, and was becoming annoyed. _It's here. Right here. Where the hell is… _

She then noticed something. The winds stopped howling. The rain stopped falling. A complete silence dawned in the room; the only sound being aware was Rini's steadied breathing.

DRIP.

A drop of water on the table near the rug.

Alarm bells went off inside Rini's head and she looked up. Before she could discern anything more than a man's figure seemingly perched on the high ceiling, the lights went out. A nanosecond later, lightning shone outside, illuminating the room for a second. The man was gone.

_Dammit!_

~*~

The lights flickered and died out as surprised cries echoed throughout the palace.

The senshis and generals all looked up as they sensed a different presence in the palace. Amy touched her earring and her high-tech visor materialized. She ran out of the labs to instinctively head to the throne room, her visor providing her night vision so that she won't trip or bump into anyone in the darkness. She could hear Zoisite's footsteps behind her, soon followed by whom she sensed to be Mina and Lita's.

"Serena!" she cried as she burst into the throne room.

Serenity's body looked tensed. The crystal in her crown gave off a most illuminating, ethereal light throughout the darkness. She looked upwards to the ceiling. "It's in Rini's room!"

~*~

The tingle became an outright slap in the head. 

_Behind!_

Rini turned around in time to block an incoming jab to her shoulder. She held his fist, used her other hand to punch the guy's face, which was blocked by his other hand (which she expected), and then proceeded to give a swift, sweeping kick to knock the guy off his feet. The man retaliated quickly and kicked Rini off her feet. Rini heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being unsheathed, and she rolled herself up and managed a quick elbow to the man's neck. He got up just as quickly, landed a hard sided kick to her head, and knocked her down again, pinning her legs. He held the blade menacingly above her, and she struggled to get free until she realized she was being flipped over his shoulder.

_He's trying to kidnap me!_

She didn't have her transformation brooch so she couldn't defend herself as Chibimoon. So she screamed a high-pitched wail, enough to make her kidnapper stop and gag her. He also bound her ankles and wrists to prevent any further attempts to escape. Her silk robe was slowly inching off her naked body underneath. If she moved any more it'd fall off. Rini was absolutely furious. The crescent moon on her forehead glowed and called out to her mother. Angry tears formed in her eyes and she realized they were already about to jump the ledge of her balcony.

Thunder rumbled once again overhead but Rini felt this was different. Then, a silver-green lightning bolt struck out of the darkness and hit the kidnapper's ankles, making him tumble and drop his package. Rini balanced dangerously on the ledge and was about to fall.

"RINI!" Serenity cried out, her blood pumping as she ran towards her daughter.

Rini's eyes widened and her symbol flared, then the kidnapper regained his stance and jumped off the balcony, bringing the pink-haired princess along with him. Rini's tears fell as she heard her mother's heart-wrenching scream. Then she saw a flash of gold.

A heart-linked chain fell and coiled itself around Rini, holding her in place. The kidnapper held a death grip around her waist, cursing as he dangled on to dear life as the rain was making the silk robe more and more slippery. The sky lit up again and the same green-tinged lightning bolt struck the man fiercely, making him let go of the princess and fall to the hard ground below.

Rini heard a sickening 'thump' a few moments later and breathed a sigh of relief. She felt herself being hoisted up by the chain. She looked up to see Sailor Venus pulling her carefully. Sailor Jupiter was glaring at the ground with a very pissed-off look on her face.

"The fucker's still alive!" she cried. Simultaneously, thunder echoed through the storm and Jupiter threw flashing green orbs towards the man who was swiftly running away. "Dammit!"

"He disappeared!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed from behind her. She looked out at the man's route through her visor, which clearly showed no trace of the man but an unknown residue at where he vanished.

"Shit!" Jupiter cursed and a large bolt of lightning split the sky and burned some trees near where the man disappeared to.

"It's alright, Jupiter." Venus said. With a final pull she carefully brought Rini over the ledge and uncoiled her chain from her. She un-gagged her and Mercury released the bonds on her limbs. The queen rushed towards Rini and brought her into her arms.

"Are you OK, Rini?" she whispered.

Rini's crescent flashed and she hugged her mother back. She was still shocked and scared beyond belief, but she didn't want to show it. She was brave, she will not cry. She let go and nodded. "I'm—I'm alright now. Thank you, everyone."

Zoisite unclasped his cape and wrapped it around Rini's shivering form. She gave him a tiny smile of gratitude. "Ladies, let's get inside first. The rain's not getting any kinder."

-*-*-

_-so sorry for the long delay, I came down with the flu -.- it's very rainy here right now. Well, till the next chap! Enjoy!-_


	6. You're Back

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon

**Chapter 6: You're Back**

--------------------

"Did you see his face?" asked Zoisite.

"No. It was too dark. He was very sneaky; I could barely sense his presence at first." Rini responded.

"At first? You mean he was here earlier?"

She nodded. "I was in the bath when someone started knocking on my door. I answered it a few moments later when the knocking wouldn't stop after I asked who it was, to no reply. Then I felt it—a tingle. He only attacked when the lights went off."

"Speaking of which, it should be back on any moment now." Zoisite looked up and true to speak, the room was once again lit against the darkness outside.

Running footsteps were heard outside the hallway. The door slammed open with a very distraught-looking Mau confidante trying to catch her breath. "Rini!" Diana ran towards the princess and held her cold hands. "Are you alright? Oh gods, I was so worried when the lights went off and I heard you scream!" She gripped Rini's hands tighter.

Rini smiled. "I'm okay now, Di. Really. Thank you."

Diana sighed and relaxed. She turned to Sailor Jupiter. "I heard your lightning bolts, Lita. Did you catch him? Her? It?"

Jupiter's face scrunched in annoyance. "Nah. He was too quick. He fell five stories down and got up again! Only to run away and suddenly disappear!" She threw her hands up in frustration.

"F-Fell five stories? D-Disappeared?" Diana repeated.

Mercury nodded. "This is no human that tried to kidnap Rini. Actually, this is no ordinary being. He must've opened up a portal where he vanished into, because it left behind some dark energy." She began typing in her mini-computer. "It's unidentifiable as of now, but it matches those of the invaders."

"How did he get in?" asked Venus, who was crouched on the floor.

"I'm working on that. It shows here that none of the castle shields have been damaged at all."

"Could he have used that same portal?"

"He can't. The portal would have had to get through the shields. Getting in isn't as hard as getting out." Silence followed for a few moments as Mercury continued typing into her computer.

"What could they have wanted with me?" Rini asked in a small voice.

"Could've been ransom." Diana replied.

Rini scoffed. "Of course. It's always ransom."

"Better not to jump to any conclusions, kids." Jupiter said, receiving little glares from Rini and Diana.

"She's right," Venus stood up. "These guys are probably from another universe. We've never seen them before." Rini stared wide-eyed and listened intently. "They're really powerful too. They were able to break through the global and kingdom shields almost unnoticed. In addition to that, someone sabotaged some controls in the labs. One of them is in the palace. We need to be alert." She placed a hand on Rini's shoulder. "At least you're safe now, honey." Rini gave her a small smile.

"Rini," came Serenity's voice. She turned to face her mother. "The palace isn't safe for you at the moment. Until we're sure of what these people want, you must be under strict protection."

Rini understood and hated herself inside. If only she had looked up a few seconds earlier. If only she had her brooch. If only she weren't so helpless all the time. She hated being protected now. She wanted to be strong, to have no fear of anything anymore. She hated this. "Mom," she started. "I want to train again." When Serenity didn't say anything, she continued, "I want to be able to protect myself, so then I won't be such a burden."

Serenity shook her head. "You're not a burden, Rini."

"Yes I _am_!" Rini cried. All eyes were on her at her sudden outburst, unseen for the past ten years, and then she reddened. "I mean, I just want to help out. You know, I don't want to be helpless like this time, like all the time…"

"We were all at some vulnerability tonight, Rini."

Rini then realized her mother was trying to avoid the subject. She clenched her hands into fists underneath the cape which she was hugging to stop her shivering. Shivering from the cold or shivering from anger. Why won't she let her train? After all, _she _was once a warrior; the legendary Sailor Moon. Why can't she follow her footsteps and become stronger as well? Rini did not understand and was thoroughly frustrated. There hasn't been a kidnap attempt since she got back from the past. Hell, there hasn't even been any threat to Crystal Tokyo since then. This is serious. Rini was thoroughly frustrated.

She stood up. "I'm going to change now."

Serenity nodded. "Alright. Will you be fit for dinner?"

"Yes, Mother." She said monotonously. She turned to go to her bathroom.

As the door shut, the tension in the room between the two royals lifted. Jupiter turned to the queen. "Serena, I think training would be good for the kid. We could do it," she waved her arm at the rest of the senshi.

Serenity smiled at them. "Yes, well, I'll explain to you all later why I'd rather she stay put. First."

"OK," Diana said. "Let's head on to dinner then? I'll wait for Rini."

~*~

As it turned out, Rini didn't show up for dinner because she was feeling very tired, as Diana reported. In all truth, she knew how frustrated Rini was at the situation in front of her, and she (along with everybody else) would rather not have the mother-daughter tension in the room so she told Rini to sleep on it first. But Amy put up some extra-defensive shields around her room along with Raye's anti-evil spells first. Two guards were stationed outside her bedroom and outside her chamber areas just in case something else happened. So in short, Diana left a very agitated Rini sulking in her bedroom.

"Would you like me to bring some dinner up for you?" Diana asked.

"No, I'm fine. But can you bring me some more of Lita's cookies and some tea, please?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, Di." She slumped back on her silk covers and clutched her Pegasus-decorated wool blanket around her. Diana smiled and exited the room.

"Would Small Lady want something to eat?" asked the head chef as Diana appeared in the kitchen. "I'll tell one of the maids to bring it up for her."

"That's fine, Jean. I'll bring it up myself. She just wants some cookies and tea."

"Very well. With milk and sugar?"

"Of course." Diana smiled. She prepared the plate full of Lita's wonderful cookies and the tea. Diana looked into the cup and the corners of her mouth upturned at a thought. With a little gesture of her hand, she added some tiny sparkles which quickly disintegrated into the tea. 

"Are you planning to knock her out, my little Diana?" a smooth, too-recognizable voice throughout the castle asked behind her.

"No, father. It's for a dreamless sleep." She turned around to give Artemis a little scowl.

"Hmm. I see. Just in case they try to catch her through the subconscious." He smiled and patted Diana's head. "Excellent, my little one." Diana scowled again. She was not little anymore, in fact, she was a full-grown woman of the same integrity as the loyal Moon advisors (her parents), with the same beauty as her mother's, and the same wits as her father's. But still Artemis towered a good head and a half above her, and still treated her as he did when she was twelve. She sighed. _I guess I know how Rini feels. But not as seriously._ She smiled at her father and didn't leave without giving him a subtle swat on the arm.

She made her way up Rini's room and didn't bother to knock; she walked straight inside and placed the tray by her side table. Rini walked in from her balcony.

"Isn't it weird? Just a while ago it was raining like hell and I was freezing my butt off. But now, it's as if it never rained. The summer night's back." She sat down on the bed and Diana sat next to her.

"Yeah, it's gonna get colder later on tonight though." She said. She noticed Rini's hair was still in that wet, messy bun. "Want me to fix your hair?"

"Sure." She replied.

Diana grabbed a brush nearby and started undoing Rini's hair, letting it fall down in its pink splendor. Even when it was damp from the rain, it shone prettily and was as soft as ever. Diana started brushing her hair downs its length, carefully undoing knots here and there. This was a favorite pastime between the two long-time friends.

"Aren't you going to eat, Di?" asked Rini after a measurable amount of comfortable silence passed.

"Nah. I'm not too hungry." A few more strokes and Rini's hair would outshine the dull lights the candles provided in the room; Rini loved to sleep by candlelight. Diana used to think she was just too stubborn to admit that she was afraid of the dark.

Rini stared outside her window. Her balcony doors which were usually kept open to let the breeze in were shut and locked tight with the curtains drawn, blocking out the night sky. The moon was dim tonight but it still shone through the window. Rini always thought the moon looked bigger in her room. _If only it could give me enough strength to withstand my own troubles. _She sighed.

Diana heard it and leaned over beside Rini. "What's the matter, Rini? You know, you've been really… you haven't been yourself lately." She said quietly.

Rini kept her gaze at the moon. She figured it was okay to tell Diana what was on her mind. But not all. "Di… I think I have a clue on what's been going on."

"You do? Then you must tell your mother! She'll know what to do." Diana said confidently.

Rini half-expected her to say that. "No, I'm not sure. It might be nothing, it's just… Hell, never mind."

"What is it?"

"Nothing." Rini turned to her and smiled. "Forget I said anything. It's nothing."

But Diana wasn't one to let things like these rest so easily, especially when Rini was concerned. She reached out and held Rini's hands. "Small Lady," she started. "You can tell me anything. You know that? We're like sisters. We grew up together. If you don't want me to say anything, I won't. That's all." She squeezed her hands. "Just… just let me know what's been bothering you. I don't like seeing you so… un-Rini-like."

Rini let out a small giggle and squeezed Diana's hands in turn. "Thanks, Di. I know, I can trust you with anything." She felt much better with Diana around. She reached out and placed the tray of cookies and tea in between them on her gigantic bed. She took a cookie and started eating it.

_Maybe I will tell her. I said so myself, I can trust her with anything. _She offered Diana some cookies, which she accepted happily. "Di," Rini began. Diana brought her attention all to Rini. "I'll tell you."

Diana smiled. "Okay. Do you want me to keep silent about it?"

Rini nodded. "Please."

"No need to say 'please', Rini." Diana assured her along with an eye-roll.

Rini giggled again. "Okay. Well… I guess… Umm…" _Where do I start? _"Well, I've been having these weird dreams lately. For the past month, to be exact. Every night." She stayed quiet.

"Uh huh… what kind of dreams?" Diana asked, stuffing a cookie in her mouth. _They must be really weird dreams for her to be hesitating like this._

Rini's cheeks reddened. "I don't know… Uh… what's the word… kinky?"

Diana choked on her cookie. Rini swatted her back to help and handed her some tissue. After wiping her mouth, Diana asked quietly, "You mean erotic dreams? Like how guys have wet dreams?"

Rini's face glowed a bright pink. "NO!" she coughed. "No! No… we didn't do anything."

"Who's the guy?" Diana asked, a smile playing on her lips. She decided not to ask what they'd do in her dreams, seeing as how uncomfortable this was for her.

Rini stayed quiet, with a thoughtful look on her face. "Well… honestly, I don't know. But he seems _so_ familiar." She laughed. "Actually, I don't really see his face in my dreams, because my eyes are always closed. I only catch on to the surroundings. I just, you know, feel—" Diana giggled. "—what's going on. He'd whisper sweet things to me. He'd…touch…me. Stop that!" Diana was shaking with held-back giggles. "Okay. And then he'd finally say, 'Open your eyes, darling' and when I would, everything would… spin away, blur away… everything would fade… the last thing I always saw were his eyes."

Diana was quiet for a while until she burst out, "That's _so_ romantic! Rini, I wish I had dreams like yours!"

Rini looked dumbfounded.

She waited for Diana to regain her composure. "Ahem. Right. So, what do these dreams have to do with what's been going on?"

"Well, I went riding with Lita earlier today, right? She took me to this secluded area in the forest. It was so beautiful. It looked just like the place in my dreams. I fell asleep while Lita went to get some berries for me. Then, that guy came to me again. I…" Rini contemplated something. "I saw his face before my eyes shut again, but I totally forgot what it looked like." _Darn. _"So then, he came to me, and he… he started kissing me…" She waited for Diana's silly smile to wipe off her face. "And then, I finally asked him who he was. He told me to, once again, open my eyes and I'll see. The next thing I knew I was… I was falling." She looked up at Diana, whose face had turned serious. "I was falling. And it was the worst feeling." She shuddered, thinking of that horrible experience. "And then Lita woke me out of it. Then it started to rain." She clutched her blanket tighter. "Somehow my mom knew all about this. She was going to ask me about it. And then, this whole… broken shields, raids, kidnapping thing happened."

She took a sip of her tea, which she thought tasted a little different. _Ah, needs more milk._ She looked at Diana. "Don't you think it's all strange? Don't you think it's all linked in some way?"

"Well…" Diana started, and she scratched her head. "I don't know. I guess it's all linked in some… some weird way." She sat in deep thought as Rini added more milk and sugar to her tea. "So maybe this guy… your dream lover," she smiled as Rini blushed over her tea. "Is in some way behind all this? Maybe he wants to kidnap you?"

Rini hadn't thought about that. "Kidnap me? I was thinking more like… like he was trying to… Well I don't know." _What was I thinking? He was trying to help me? When all he's been doing is making out with me? Stupid Rini! _"You know how repetitive dreams, especially for a month, must mean something. I'm thinking this guy has something to do with it. Because until just a while ago… the dreams… they've been… you know…" _what's a good word!? _"…harmless…?"

"Harmless, eh?" Diana giggled once more.

Rini couldn't help but smile at her friend's girlish antics. _Ah well, we're both still young anyway. _She finished off the last of her tea. "I'm glad I talked to you, Di." And she was.

"Of course." She patted Rini's arm. "Oh, I almost forgot, I put some magic in your tea so that you'll have a dreamless sleep tonight."

Rini's calm face betrayed the thoughts in her head. _Dreamless? What? I was looking forward to seeing him again! I was going to interrogate him! That is, before we start necking. No, wait! That's not right! How the hell could I be thinking of that at a time like this? I gotta ask him if he's involved in—_

"It's for your own good, Small Lady," Diana's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Just in case the enemy tries to reach you through your subconscious while you sleep. We don't know what they're fully capable of, so this is just for some extra safety." She paused and grinned widely. "Sorry if I ruined any chance of you seeing your dream lover tonight." She winked.

Her face was smacked lightly by pillow. "I wasn't thinking that, you fool." Rini laughed. "Anyway, thanks. Thanks for listening and hexing my tea." 

"No prob." Diana stood up and got the empty tray. "Get to bed, princess, you really must be pooped from today." She helped tuck Rini into bed and gave her a small kiss on her head before leaving. "Night, Small Lady."

"G'night, Di."

Rini smiled in the darkness. She was glad she had Diana. She didn't have too many friends her age. She was educated in the castle and barely went outside. Not that she didn't want to; she just didn't have to. She wished she knew more people her age, not just cocky courtiers from other planets and such, who only came to her in hopes of marriage. Hell, she had more friends back in the past during her mother's time, when she was in elementary school.

_Yes… those were the funny days. _She then felt bad; she had no right to feel old anyway. Twenty-one years is _very_ young in these days of Crystal Tokyo. She looked to one side to watch the faint shadow dances the candle flames played against the wall. Its weak vanilla scent traveled to her senses and she inhaled the sweetness it contained.

She began to feel sleep take hold of her. Her eyes became heavier and her breathing slowed. She thought once more of the past. _I remember… I remember Pegasus_, she thought sleepily. Her mind dwelled on the enchanting winged horse and a young man she once knew back then, a very special young man, who fought alongside with her when she was a senshi. It seemed so long ago. Too long ago. She looked out her window to the moon again, taking comfort in its soothing, mellow light. _Oh well. Maybe I'll remember tomorrow._

Her vision of the moon blurred and she felt her eyes droop to confine her in what she expected to be a dark, dreamless sleep.

But she was wrong.

In fact, it seemed as if this night gave her the most vivid dream of this stranger yet.

There she was again, in that familiar little haven in the middle of the forest, with the bubbling brook and the gigantic oak tree. Rini felt wide awake in this setting. _Huh, it didn't work, Di. _She looked up to see the moon looking very brilliant as ever. She closed her eyes and leaned against the trunk, folding her arms. _This time…I won't go easy on you, boy._

A rush of air brushed by her form, touching her loose pink locks and delicate nightgown. And then she felt hot lips on her neck. He had appeared. Instinctively, she curved into the sensual touch. _NO! Wait, I'm not supposed to be doing this. _She placed her palms on his chest and was about to push him away until she felt his hands roam up and around her hips. Her head exploded once again in that hazy fog.

"Rini, my darling…" his deep voice reverberated as he whispered in her ear. He stroked her cheek and ran his hand down her silky hair. He pinned her tightly against the tree with his hard body. Rini's heart was pounding wildly in her chest that she was sure he could almost feel it. She noticed something. He wasn't holding her hands.

"Rini…" his voice came again. His voice sounded rather different too. Rini thought this may be an effect of Diana's tea hex. "…were you hurt?"

Rini's mind snapped back to focus, the hazy fog gone. _How did he know? _She opened her mouth but before any sound came out he put his lips to it and kissed her hard. Too hard. Rini felt like she was choking. He was hurting her. She then realized that he had her arms pinned against the tree and he kept her legs immobile as well. _What the hell is he doing!?_

He didn't stop kissing her and he crushed her body against the gigantic tree. Rini's air supply was being cut short. She inwardly panicked, but she couldn't do anything. Her crescent symbol flickered wildly. He was still hurting her, and she felt tears stinging her eyes. Just then, she heard the distinctive neigh of a horse. The man stopped kissing Rini and she used this distraction to bite his lips hard. He wailed and scooted away from the girl, who slumped to the soft grass, trying to catch her breath.

Her eyes opened and she looked up to see a majestic stallion, the color of the lightest ivory with incredibly large wings which spanned twice her size. It stood in front of her and got on its hind legs, neighing loudly to the man who hurt her. Rini couldn't see the man as the stallion blocked her way.

"I will get you for this, Princess," came his voice; not the same deep hedonic one which caressed her before, but a low canny, menacing one. "We shall meet again… soon." With that, he lifted his cape and disappeared in a blink of bright light.

_Shit! I missed his face again! _Rini buried her face in her hands and started to mentally berate herself. And then a feeling of sadness and loss swept over her. _He wasn't the same man as before. He hurt me cruelly. _She brought a trembling hand up to her lips. She felt abused and disgusted. _What happened? He really must've been with those invaders. But it wasn't the same man. This one was so different. Where did he go? _Her crescent symbol flashed and she felt a single tear run down her cheek. _Why am I crying? I already cried too much today._

Then she felt something soft rubbing against her face. The horse was cuddling his large head against hers. Rini smiled softly. "Thank you for saving me," she whispered to it. She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She took another look at the horse and did a double take.

"P-Pegasus!"

She recognized the single red teardrop jewel on its forehead. The golden, jewel-like pointed horn it had atop its head gleamed in the moonlight, and its eyes burned a fierce amber color, framed with long and thick black lashes. Its long, wavy mane sloped beautifully down its long, elegant neck and its wings were tucked against its huge body. It radiated of power and beauty. _He seems so much bigger now. _She looked into his eyes. _And so much more beautiful._

Rini felt that familiar feeling she got whenever she saw anything pretty back when she was a kid. She wanted to hold it and squeeze it, keep it to herself. Memories of the past when she was with this special horse came flooding back in her head. She reached out and caressed its face affectionately.

"Pegasus," she whispered. "You're back…" she hugged the horse's neck, and then a few more memories came back to her, hitting her like a ton of bricks.

It seemed to play in fast-forward. A boy. With white hair. A peculiar white outfit. He held on to her hand. He kissed her. He saved her. Many times. He kissed her hand in goodbye. She hugged him and looked at him a last time. A horse with wings. Amber-colored eyes.

"E…" Her eyes were wide open in realization and shock. She looked into the horse's eyes again. "E…Elios!"

-*-*-

-and here's another one! Woohoo! Stay tuned for tha next chappie!-


	7. Reunion

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon**

**Chapter 7: ****Reunion******

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_Yeah, right. Yeah, right. Yeah, right!_

Rini was in denial that she had actually forgotten all about her one and only love from the past after all this time. And that he is standing right in front her at this very moment. She didn't know what to say. When she had uttered his name from shock and revelation, she expected to wake up. After all, this is all still taking place in a dream. But she was still standing in place, and the magnificent horse was still right in front of her.

The horse neighed and spread its grand wings to its fullest length, and then covered his face with the soft feathers. A flash of golden light illuminated the area, forcing Rini to cover her eyes with her arms. The light was still so bright she could see red from behind her eyelids. When she felt the intensity die down, she reluctantly opened one eye, then the other, almost afraid of what she's going to see, or what she's not going to see. _Oh, don't tell me he left…_

But of course he did not leave. Why would one separate from his love after waiting for her for so long?

The horse had turned into a man. Pegasus has morphed into Elios. Man as beautiful as the beast. Pegasus is a glorious winged horse, the kind of creature whose splendor cannot possibly be captured by paintings, songs, or dreams. The lucky few who have seen it, the royal court, are still astounded by its presence whenever he shows up. Such words can be said about Elios.

Rini was shocked. She thought him utterly handsome and dreamy when she was just a child, but now he is the most drop-dead gorgeous man she had ever had the pleasure of seeing. His features are more refined, and he towered a good head and a half above her. _A little taller than Lita._ His uniform was a little different too; the lines were crisper, and there was something else. Whatever it was, it made him look more authoritative but still as ethereal as before nonetheless. As she finally looked into his eyes, the same ones as Pegasus', she felt a whole decade of love that she had forgotten about roll back into her being.

"My lady," he said, and went down on one knee to acknowledge her royalty. His voice was a lot deeper and richer now, she noted. He held her eyes with his though, and Rini stood transfixed, yet a tad disappointed with his formality. _What did I expect?_ She thought. A bone-breaking hug, perhaps. A kiss, maybe. She blushed at the latter. _Well, he seemed to have liked kissing me before. Why stop now?_

Indeed, why stop now? _If he's not going to do it, I might as well._

As Elios got up to his full height once more, Rini ran into his chest and embraced him. She realized she had not the courage to kiss him, yet. She hid her embarrassment in the embrace, and was relieved when she felt solid arms surrounding her.

"Elios, I'm so glad you're back," she finally said. She pulled back to look at him.

"Are you hurt, princess?" he asked. The worry was evident in his face.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks to you." _Why is he being a bit distant? After a moment, "Do you know who that man was?"_

"Not yet. But obviously, someone dangerous," His tone was grave. "And powerful, since he was able to reach you this way."

Rini contemplated for a moment. "You mean through my dreams?"

Elios nodded.

"But I drank a tea hex; I wasn't supposed to be dreaming in the first place."

A look of realization dawned upon his handsome face, then quickly disappeared. Rini did not miss it though. "Then the enemy is more powerful than I thought, by actually being able to break the hex."

"You're not telling me something."

Elios blinked. "Excuse me, princess?"

Rini rolled her eyes. "Surely you don't feign ignorance, my lord." Her haughty tone was comical against her childish expression. She placed a palm against his chest. "I beg you tell me what is on your unreadable mind; a lady, nay, a princess's request." She loved playing these games; using her rank to get what she wanted. Even if she can't use it on everybody.

A smile played upon one of the corners of Elios's lips. _She's still got that charm_, he thought, _of getting anything she wanted._ He realized she must've caught on to something indeed. He did not want to tell her yet, though. _I'll get her mind off it first. Very purposefully, so that she would notice, he let his eyes travel her body, which was donned in a slinky nightgown. _

And Rini did notice, and she blushed hotly. She shouldn't have worn this nightgown; she only started wearing such scandalous rails since she started having those dreams. Normally she would have spat out some well-disguised derogatory phrase to any man who dared look at her that way. It made her feel like some sort of object, a plaything; it made her feel violated. But with Elios, the boy who knew her dreams, the one who she knew was her match deep inside, it was different. She felt like a woman, and she felt like melting. She wanted to move though, but her limbs felt glued onto the ground, her hand still on his chest. Her blush spread, until she thought she'd look pinker than her hair.

Elios had seen Rini's adult form in his vision, when trouble with Nehelenia arose. She was more breathtaking in flesh and blood; she had a very womanly body and had the same beauty as her mother's, except that she looked a bit exotic with her deep red eyes. He was very happy to see with evidence that she has certainly grown into a lady, that her dream has come true. He noticed her blush, which was going down her neck, and laughed inside.

"My lady," he whispered against her ear. "I think you would not like the thoughts in my unreadable mind right now."

Rini shuddered from his closeness, and saw that he was eluding from the real subject. That's very tricky of him. She moved her hand from his chest down to his belly, which she noticed was very hard (_Wow, what has he been doing all these years?), and around to his side. "My lord, I'm afraid you underestimate me for any other common woman."_

Elios liked the way she trailed her hand up and down his side. _Common woman you are most certainly not. _ "Forgive me, princess." _Does she do this to other men? He wondered bitterly. He stepped back from her abruptly._

Rini was shocked by this sudden move, and the air he left in his stride was cold. She looked up to see his smiling face. _Gosh he's gorgeous._

"I'm sorry, princess, but there's not enough time to tell you everything." He said, getting back to the topic.

"Not enough time? We have all night, Elios. And please, call me by my name."

"Daybreak will be any second now," he informed her.

"But we've just—it's been so long! This is such a brief reunion! I will not have it."

He laughed, out loud this time. "Neither will I, princess. Stop the sun if you can, though."

She sighed, "The sun is just as certain as the rising of the moon," _Didn't I just tell him to stop addressing me so formally?_ "Will I see you again, priest?" she asked.

He was quiet for a while. _Oh please, don't let it be another decade or so till I see you again, Rini prayed. She took both his hands and clasped it in hers. "Elios! Promise me you'll see me tomorrow!" she requested, eagerly._

Elios looked down at her beautiful face, framed by her loose pink hair, and her elegant hands clasping his. He loved this girl, no, woman since before… he should let her know all the more. He has missed her too much already. Why hide? 

Rini began to panic when he still kept his silence and when the forest around them, the brook, and the oak tree was beginning to vanish, turning more yellow and orange. When she fell asleep she was looking at the moon. Now when she will open her eyes, the sun will be in its place. _Dammit__! I forgot to close my curtains!_

Elios noticed her anxiety, and before she could sink deeper into it, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He was pleasantly surprised, once more this night, when she kissed him back. He ended the kiss after a while, and touched his cheek onto hers. He breathed in her scent, which smelled like roses and moonlight, refreshing and intoxicating.

He then looked at her, her eyes still closed, lips swollen. _Always ends this way._ He then intertwined his fingers with hers. In that simple gesture, Rini's questions were answered.

"I promise, Rini." He whispered. "Open your eyes, darling."

She then awoke to the glare of the unwelcome sun with a smile.

-*-*-

_-I'm very sorry for those who have been waiting for this chapter. Sorry for the wait and for the short length! The essays and other work have been piling up too much. I kinda took a 3-month break from life, you could say. Ugh. I hope my writing style hasn't changed for the worse though. Anyway, I'll make sure that it won't take another three months for me to update. Thanks to those who reviewed and helped get me back on track, much luv.-_


	8. Close One

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Sailor Moon.

**Chapter 8: Close One**

**

* * *

_Author's Note:_**_ Oh my gosh! I know, I am one of the most horrible people on earth for leaving this story behind for two friggin' years, and to think this was my baby! Good news is, I'm graduating soon, very soon (not soon enough) so I should be back on track to finishing this and I have a few more ideas for stories lined up, which I'm more than excited to start on. To those of you who still read this, thank you so much. You have no idea how I love seeing each and every review, even after such a long hiatus (ugh, I hate that word). And with my sincerest apologies I present to you the rest of Sweet Nocturne._

* * *

Over the next few days, something peculiar had happened to the young princess. In the midst of all the terror in the village a few days ago (the attempted kidnapping and looming threats of an invasion over the kingdom), Rini frolicked around the palace with a glowing face and with seemingly different dark eyes that gave a magnificent gleam of a deep, ardent red. 

No one minded, really. The palace workers smiled as she passed by, the generals and senshi dropped their works to bask in her intoxicating, newfound happiness. But from what, and why, is the burden the Queen herself chose to shoulder. Along with the stress of the mysterious disappearance of weirdness in the village.

"How are things, my love?"

Rini smiled at her mother. "Fine, mama. Just fine." She took a plump, oversized strawberry and dipped it in the little pot of melted dark chocolate. "And you?"

Serena did the same. "Oh, same old, same old."

Rini finished the strawberry in two bites and licked the chocolate off her fingers. "Mmm. Good, good." Another strawberry. She relaxed herself on the sofa lengthwise and crossed her legs.

"Now we're just repeating ourselves, aren't we?" Serena said, in a bored tone.

"I guess." Rini waited for the dripping chocolate to stop, twirling the strawberry. "It's pretty redundant to have this conversation. I mean, we see each other _every_ day," she said in mock indignation.

"Yes, I suppose…" _This is going nowhere._ "…But I feel as if something has changed."

"Changed?" Rini stared out at the bright sky and yawned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, asides from the events that have taken place the past few days—"

Rini waved her hand nonchalantly. "Oh, mama. You worry too much, really. I have a feeling that everything will be just fine. Good will always triumph," she stated confidently.

Serena's eyebrow twitched. "I'm glad you're being very optimistic, my love. But I do believe that there is a balance in this universe." She leaned over to dip another strawberry. "Prices must be paid, and usually the cost of something good is a very expensive one." She took a bite. "Going through the experience of obtaining what you want is as valuable as the end result. But right now, we're at a standstill. Again. There's something to be worried about. And not just outside, but in the palace as well."

"Aw, don't get all philosophical and dutiful with me now, mama." Rini yawned again. "I think it's time for my siesta anyway."

"Small Lady, you've been sleeping too much lately." Serena poured herself some merlot and stood up, taking a hasty swig, her pre-stately infamous temper slowly surfacing. _What is she hiding? How could she take matters so lightly?_ Rini recognized under what situations the endearing nickname is often used and sat up, realizing she had angered her mother somewhat. The Queen paced slowly towards the large window, and took another sip from her glass. "Rini, I'm just concerned as a mother and as a friend." She turned.

"There's nothing to talk about, and I'm just _fine_." Rini said hotly. "Why are you so jumpy anyway?"

Serena finished her glass. "Why am I so jumpy?" She set her glass down. "Have you forgotten that you were almost kidnapped just a week ago?"

"Mama—"

"Rini." Serena walked toward her daughter. "I'm just concerned, my love." She repeated.

Rini smiled. "I know." She moved down the sofa and Serena sat next to her. After a short moment, Rini decided to clue her mother in, just to get her to relax. _Really, there is_ nothing _to worry about. Right?_ "Mama, first of all, I want you to understand now that I am absolutely fine. No sickness, no nothing. Alright?"

Serena nodded. "Right." The heaviness in the room seemed to lift. She breathed out and wringed her hands together. "And there's nothing of any manner like that of the past incident that has occ—"

"Mama! Nothing! Really. Nothing. If there were, you'd be the first to sense and the first to know."

"True." Serena looked at her. "I'm just making sure, my love." Then her stance relaxed. "So, your giddiness over the past few days must be the cause of what? It cannot just be from the return of the generals." Her tone was loose but her face seemed intent to know what her daughter had been up to.

_Quite the perceptive one, aren't you?_ Rini thought about her last dreamy encounter and decided that it would be okay for her mother to know. But not everything. "Well, as glad as I am seeing the power trips between Mina and Kunzite," at this, the Queen smiled, "I just… that is…" Rini wasn't sure of how to say it. "I just have this feeling that there's something there that will come to my rescue when I need it, and it reassured me. I know I have you, Daddy, Diana, the senshi and the shitennou to watch over me… but this is the kind that stays at the back of my head, giving me that extra… that extra _something_ I needed." _Wow, that must've been the most incoherent sentence I've ever blabbered out._ "Do you know what I mean?" She looked expectantly to find a blank or otherwise mildly peeved expression on her mother's face.

Instead, she found a thoughtful look. "I think I do, actually."

Rini tried to hide her slight surprise. "Honestly?" _She can't be_ that _perceptive._

"Yes." Then she straightened her pose. "I felt that extra something, as you call it…" Rini shrugged at her own vagueness. "…When I met your father."

_She's on to me!_

The Queen was on to her. "So just _who_—"

"Your Majesty," a servant entered and bowed hastily. "Lady Raye asks for your presence at the temple immediately."

"Please send a message back that I will be with her shortly."

"Your Majesty," the servant fidgeted. "Milady says it is very urgent." _And she'll probably bite my head off if you don't show up._

The Queen sighed and gave a curt nod. "Very well."

With a look promising more to be said later, the Queen kissed the top of Rini's head and promptly disappeared through the door. The princess sat in contemplative and relief-filled silence as she listened to the fading click-click of heels and shuffling skirts.

Serena's thoughts were in a mess as she walked in the direction of the temple. She was slightly peeved that she always seemed to be interrupted when her headstrong teenage daughter was about to tell her some life-altering secret, or something like that. She caught sight of the temple and quickened her pace.

Raye looked up expectedly a second before Serena opened the gigantic door. "Took you a while."

"Hello to you too, my dear." Serena removed her heels and sat on the cushion opposite of the priestess. "You said it was important?"

Raye noted her slightly hassled demeanor. "Did I interrupt something? Have you been drinking?" She noted her pink cheeks as well.

"I was just talking to Rini. Gods, that girl is stubborn." She looked up exasperatedly, missing Raye's smile. "And yes but not really, I just had some wine because I was so stressed trying to get something out of that girl. It took some time for her to finally tell me something."

"What did she tell you?"

"Nothing; you called. And about what, by the way? I want to get back to Rini before she disappears or goes to sleep." She leaned towards her friend attentively, eyes bright.

"Well, it's about her, actually. About Rini." Raye waited a while as she saw Serena's frame shudder.

"It's something, isn't it? There's something out there after her." The Queen crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

"I feel a presence. A dark one." Raye stood up and walked towards her blazing fire, looking deeply into it. "I've been trying to read into it for the past few days, but it seems as if the harder I try to look, the more vague or distant the images get. All I know is—" She turned back to Serena, "—Rini is involved in this. I just don't want us to underestimate this… this thing. Whatever it is. And considering how the mood has lifted in the area over the past few days, we have to remind people that this threat is still there. I can feel it. I'm sure the senshi and the shitennou can as well." She looked seriously at Serena.

The queen looked back at her and gave a long sigh. "Yes, yes, I know… Thank you, Raye." She stood up shakily. Raye went towards her and gave her that all-too familiar sisterly hug.

"Everything will be fine, Serena. You will be fine. Rini will be fine. So will Darien and the kingdom." She patted her back.

"I know. I'm just so worried about Small Lady." She smiled at Raye. "I know she's grown up, but I still want to protect her. I don't want anything to come after her like that."

"I understand." Raye looked back at fire. "Perhaps you should consider her request."

"What request?"

"That she be put back into training—"

"No." Serena cut Raye off. "I am absolutely not sending her to the past again—"

"Doesn't have to be in the past." Raye gave Serena her signature "duh, dumbass" look. "Here. In the present. Or future. Whatever." She smiled. "We can all train her. Starting tomorrow. She'll be happy that we're honoring her wishes and you can sleep a little better at night."

Serena pondered for a while. "I guess you're right." She nodded her head. "You're absolutely right." The sad look on her face remained. "It's just that we shouldn't be doing this, still. It's supposed to be over now."

Raye returned the sad sentiment. "It will be, soon." Her fire blazed. "Let's just get this one out of the way. It'll be over soon enough."

* * *

Rini lay on her side and stared at the glowing silver moon outside her window, once again showering her in its sleepy glow. A breeze flew into her room and blew tenderly through her sheer lacy shift, making her shiver slightly. The flames of her candles danced and weakened as her eyes began to drift slowly downwards.

The whole week has been good. She hasn't been having any dreams at all, which she prefers now as opposed to having sweet ones going awry. She felt happy that she had seen Elios again, and she was so sure that _he_ was in fact the man who had been visiting her in her dreams late at night for the past month. _Who else could it be? It makes so much sense._ He will come back soon, he said. And maybe he can explain who that intruder was, that jerk who had tried to kidnap her in her room or assault her that night Diana gave her the tea hex. _Asshole. I will find you and kick your ass off this planet myself, _she vowed silently to herself.

Rini's eyes shut slowly right after the breeze kissed the flames of her candle away and left her room covered in midnight blue and platinum moonlight. As the numbness of sleep took over, she was able to relax, although somewhat weirdly. Tonight felt… different, somehow.

Different, in the sense that Rini felt a presence behind her. On her bed. _Oh gods._

Before she could scream or do anything, a hand covered her mouth. "No need for that." A silky baritone poured into her ears and made her heart sing. _Elios! _Rini's mind screamed in joy. She peeked behind her and saw his handsome face and she was filled with relief. _Am I dreaming?_

"You're still dreaming right now," Elios said, as if reading her mind. "I just thought it would be better to meet here than in our usual place." He shifted himself so that his body was parallel to hers, but at a proper distance. Though Rini could feel the heat of his body and it was driving her nuts. _Is he not going to remove his hand from my mouth?_

"Listen, Rini, I know you're confused right now, but I need you to listen to me first with no interruptions. Okay?" his tone was authoritative and serious, his face inched close to her head that she could feel his sweet breath against her ear. She gave a little sound of accordance.

"The situation with the intruders right now is very serious. I can feel something foreboding about them, and the fact that they were able to go through dreams is very disturbing on my part, and even more so that they almost got to you." He shifted himself closer to her. "I won't let that happen, never again will any man touch you like that," he said fervently in a whisper, and Rini felt her stomach jump and her heartbeat quicken. The familiar heat of desire was pooling in her body, and it was embarrassing her. She couldn't think so coherently with his extremely close proximity.

"Secondly," Elios continued, unaware of his effect on her. "I will come to visit you. In person. As in, I am planning to come to Crystal Tokyo physically and offer my services to the kingdom regarding this matter. I want to help." Rini's heart swooned at the thought of seeing him again, _for real!_ She was more than excited now, and she wanted so desperately to hold him at that moment. She needed to do _something_. "I am sorry it's nothing but vague at this moment, but I'm sure the court is working on it, as am I. And I promise to keep you updated on anything new I find out." Rini nodded in agreement that at least someone is treating her like an adult.

"And finally," he continued. "You look absolutely delectable in this lacy work of art," he whispered against her ear. Rini's vision clouded. She closed her eyes as her body started feeling that ache of intense want again. Elios removed his hand from her mouth and caressed her cheek, then let it travel slowly and sensually down her frame. His large, hard hands contrasted beautifully against her soft, pale skin which can be seen right through the extremely scandalous little number she was wearing tonight.

As Rini was sure her heart was about to leap out of her chest, someone started pounding on her door. "Rini! Wake up, princess! Early breakfast for you today, it's the start of your training!"

* * *

How was it? I hope my writing didn't wander too much from the old style. Please review, I love hearing from my readers. I actually wrote this last scene out longer but my imagination got way out of line and way too citrusy, not to mention my Rini turning into some wanton too-sexy damsel (Oh my). That will come in due time (perhaps in another story). 


	9. Lessons

**Sweet Nocturne**

**Disclaimer: **Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.

**Chapter 9: Lessons**

**

* * *

**

The door whipped open, nearly hitting Diana on the other side. "Easy there!" She took a look at the distraught princess, raised a light brow, and smiled. "I'm sorry, did I disturb something?"

"YES!" Rini pointed out the window. "The sky is _half_ light. This is a most ungodly hour to wake." Not to mention to interrupt her encounter with Elios.

"Well," Diana frowned and planted fists on her hips. "I'm not one to cower from your royal tantrums. So stop that. It's very unbecoming."

Rini caught herself and blushed ashamedly. "I'm sorry, Di. I was just—I get cranky in the morning."

"You and half the nobles in this palace," she replied. "Now I'm sorry if you'd rather be stuck in your dreams right now—" Rini flinched; she had not told Diana about the recent assault, "—but Lita and Mina are waiting for you in the arena to start your training, and your mother told me to—"

"My what?" she interrupted. "My training? _My_ training?"

"Gods! Did you not hear me? Your mother finally agreed to it."

The princess, now out of her rut, squealed and hugged Diana happily as she hurried back inside to change. Diana stood staring at the door, shaking her head. "Princesses and mornings do _not_ go together."

* * *

_In the arena... _

Sailor Chibimoon, all grown up and not quite giving off the threatening image of lady warrior in bright pink, groaned loudly in dismay. She's still got her moves, but she had gotten a little rusty. She stared at the ground beside her cheek, remembering how she flown there via Supreme Thunder Dragon, courtesy of Sailor Jupiter. _Okay,_ she thought, _maybe more than a little rusty._

"Up, Chibimoon!" Sailor Jupiter boomed on the other side of the grounds. "At this rate, you were electrocuted and burned to a smoking crisp ten seconds ago! We've gotta fix your rebound time! Get UP!"

The princess let out a string of mental curses and finally got on her feet. "If you call me names like you do with the other trainees maybe I'll get up quicker!" she shouted.

"I will _not_ do such a thing, you little primped up, jelly-legged neophyte!"

Sailor Chibimoon ducked as a surge of hot thunderbolt singed the standing strands of hair on her head, followed by a deep chuckle from a long-haired man by the observers' area. "I'm afraid that's the worst you'll get from her, princess," he said.

Chibimoon gave Nephrite a tiny smile as she leaped out of the way of another thunderbolt. "It's okay, Jupiter! Don't you hold back now!" she called sarcastically over the loud crackles of the older woman's magic.

She then noticed that Amy, Zoisite, and the queen joined Nephrite and Mina, as Sailor Venus, at the sidelines to watch. Feeling her mother's gaze on her, she decided to up the ante and find a spot to attack the thunder senshi; she's been doing defense all her life, and even if she's just a_ little_ bit more powerful than before, now would be as good a time as any to start on the offense.

The firing and the dodging went on for a few more minutes until Chibimoon, midair in a high leap, twisted her body and forcefully threw a ball of pink magic at the taller senshi, which she dodged, only to look up and find a second one heading straight for her feet, which she also successfully avoided. Muscles screaming, Chibimoon threw her pride away and decided on an attack she hadn't used in years.

The thunder senshi looked up to see a chain of offensively pink hearts ramming straight at her head, hitting her hard enough in a series of successive concrete magic.

The princess paused to catch her breath on the other side, cheeks red from embarrassment of using such a… _dainty_-looking spell. To add to her horror, Sailor Jupiter started _laughing_ as the pink hearts continued pelting her. "Chibi—," she breathed, "Chibimoon! Make it stop! It—it tickles!"

Chibimoon stood quickly. "It _what?_" _Oh gods, strike me down now._

"You heard me!" she shouted, still laughing like a madwoman, "Make it stop!"

Chibimoon hurriedly waved a hand to stop the flow of magic and ran over to Sailor Jupiter, who was recovering from her laughing fit, wiping tears from her eyes. She looked up at the princess, whose face burned with humiliation.

"You have just broken my self-esteem in a way no fat thighs, peer intimidation, or legendary mothers to live up to would," Chibimoon mumbled dismally.

Next thing she knew, she was in the air, and then facedown once again on the ground.

"Lesson four," Jupiter swung her long, outstretched leg under her and stood up in a graceful movement, as if pushed by an invisible force. "Never let your guard down."

"Lesson five," Sailor Venus was on her side, rolling her onto her back, "Never help the attacker out, even if she _is_ your trainer." She smiled at Rini's un-ladylike grunt.

"And lesson six," she felt Amy's gentle hand on her forehead, spreading a pleasant cooling sensation throughout her body. "Do not be ashamed to use all manners of your power; magic is a force to be reckoned with, no matter how big or small—"

"Or cute and pretty-looking," Zoisite added, referring to the insanely bright pink hearts that was her attack.

Chibimoon scowled at the adults. Nephrite smiled helpfully at her and held a large hand out, which she took gratefully as he hefted her effortlessly to her feet.

Neo-Queen Serenity entered her view, with an odd expression on her face. The pink senshi sighed. "And what's lesson number seven, mother?"

Serenity touched the crescent moon symbol on her forehead and closed her eyes for a brief moment. She then laid a fist out in front of her, uncurling her fingers to show a familiar brooch. She beckoned Chibimoon to take it, which the younger woman did with shaking hands. The significance of such a casual action did not escape her as she turned searching crimson eyes up to her mother's calm azure ones.

"Lesson seven," she said evenly, "never compare your worth to your mother's." She fixed her with a stern yet gentle glare. "For you are her match and equal in skill and talent."

She gripped her shoulders hard, looking at her daughter's hands clasping the brooch tightly. "Keep up your lessons, Sailor Moon."

* * *

_Back in Rini's chambers... _ "You don't think she gave it to me because I'm weak?" 

Diana sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. "No, she most certainly did _not_. You're not weak, Rini. Of all things, she might have given it to you because you've proven that you're able to do more than what your Chibimoon persona would permit you."

Rini let this sink into her mind as she gazed at the heart-shaped brooch that she would now use to transform into Super Sailor Moon. Her mother kept the all-powerful persona of Eternal Sailor Moon behind all appearances. Eternal Sailor Moon is more known as an old, well-known legend throughout Crystal Tokyo than as the formidable senshi her mother can transform into; she explained before that she would only appear in the most dire of situations that threatened to destroy all that she, Endymion, and their friends had worked hard to achieve.

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Listen," Diana's light voice carried over the silence that had stretched between them as Rini ran a finger over the grooves and patterns of the brooch. "Your mother has faith in you. That counts for nothing unless you have faith in yourself as well."

Overcome with emotion, Rini placed a hand over her friend's and squeezed in gratitude. No words were needed; they understood. "Cheer up, Small Lady," Diana gave her a friendly hug, "You can do more than you know." And with that, she turned to leave the candle-lit room and the sulking royal.

Rini turned around and flopped ungracefully into bed, body aching in places she hadn't used in a while, feeling utterly drained from the physical training, the magic lessons, and the most _boring_ lecture on battle tactics and famous wars fought on the galactic scale.

Still, she wouldn't have it any other way. Her last conscious thoughts were that of attacking a dodging Sailor Jupiter deftly with all kinds of magical and physical attacks. She promptly feel into a deep, restful sleep as the doors to her chamber opened.

"Rini?" Serenity peeked inside and smiled at the sight of her daughter, who was asleep on the covers, her silk robes still wrapped around her body and her legs half-dangling off the bed. She walked over quietly and undid her daughter's hair from the messy bun she liked to tie it into after bathing, gathering the long lengths to one side of her shoulders. She fixed her position on the bed and gathered the Pegasus blanket from the sofa as she pulled her daughter's robes off, not questioning the blue bunny-printed pajamas she wore underneath. Such a far call from the smooth slips and night rails she had taken a liking to recently.

As soon as Rini was tucked in nicely and warmly, Serenity noticed she still held on to the Crisis Moon Compact she had given her this afternoon. She tried to tug it out of her hands, but to no avail. Smiling, she cupped one of her cheeks and gently kissed her forehead. She knew and felt, deep inside her bones, that Rini would be an exceptional Sailor Moon and would do her and the rest of the kingdom proud.

Serenity was about to leave when she heard Rini sigh deeply in her sleep. She turned to see a smile on Rini's face, which was now slightly flushed. Serenity, overcome with deep, instinctive worry only a mother is capable of feeling, wondered for the thousandth time that month just what it was her daughter was keeping from her.

Her brows furrowed slightly as the jewel in her tiara gave a faint throb of power. She walked over to her daughter and noticed that the brooch gave off a dull pink light. Knowing it wouldn't harm her since she had the royal moon blood in her veins, she reached out a hand to touch it and was momentarily blinded by a vision that disappeared as quickly as it came.

She staggered on her feet as the brooch emitted a few sparks of pink magic. It seemed to be laughing at her; Serenity felt that its powers would only grant her that much insight into her daughter's mind… for now.

She stared at her daughter thoughtfully for a few more moments before glancing around the room. Then she touched a finger to her lips and blew sharply as all the candles went out and immersed the room in moonlight.

She closed the door with a soft click and leaned against it with a sigh. "Sweet dreams, indeed," she murmured to the empty hallway. In a flurry of skirts, the queen walked away calmly and used her senses to search for her husband.

* * *

_In Rini's dream... _

"Your mother knows," Elios said calmly.

"My mother knows what?" asked Rini, blinking up at him.

They were in her room again, and she was sitting up on her bed as he paced calmly in front of her. Catching her eyes, he stopped and smiled ruefully. "Your mother knows that you have a nightly visitor," he explained.

"But how?" Rini was surprised to find her voice strangely unperturbed, "I haven't told anyone but Diana, and I trust her with my life."

"You underestimate the perceptiveness—and shrewdness—of the power in your family."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

He pointed at the brooch that sat neglected by her side. "By giving you this more powerful brooch, the queen has intensified her connection to you."

Rini's eyes widened in realization, "You mean she—"

"Do not worry, princess," Elios's eyes twinkled. "She can't read your mind, but the crystal in the brooch and the crystal in her crown are one and the same; the powers in it work together to bring you both in harmony." He paused for a moment, as if thinking about something, and said, "She was in your room just a moment ago. The crystals must have responded to one another as I entered your dreams, and she found out."

Rini could only sit and listen in silence. Her mouth was set in a tight line, her calm exterior betraying the emotions that flared again inside of her. "She _tricked_ me," she whispered. "Does she think I'm so weak that I'll need _more_ protection from her?"

Elios was kneeling in front of her in a flash. "Princess, you misunderstand my words," his deep voice was as calm as always as he gathered her hands in his and squeezed reassuringly. "Your mother must have had no knowledge of this. The silver crystal carries a deep and ancient magic and has been passed down from generation to generation—this is one of its most rudimentary forms of power that is easily overlooked in favor of its more awesome properties. I'm sure your mother was not aware of this when she gave you the brooch." He glanced at the jeweled brooch, not daring to touch it. Instead, he took one of Rini's hands and pressed it onto the powerful item, feeling the rush of power it gave out in response to the princess' touch.

Rini felt a pleasant, warm feeling traveling up her arm. Is it from the brooch, or from Elios? She shook her head and willed her thoughts to clear despite the guardian's close proximity. She looked at her lap and kept her gaze steady, fully aware of Elios still holding on to both of her hands. "Okay. I believe you."

He gave her a warm smile, "I am glad." With that, he let go and sat beside her, close enough to let their legs touch. Rini leaned in as he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Any news from the intruders?" she asked, eyes closed as his hand warmed one of her arms, running it up and down lethargically.

He sighed over her head. "None yet, I'm afraid. When I arrive here in person I shall be able to work with Lady Amy and the rest to find out more about the matter. I can only do so much in the Elysian Fields."

"Speaking of which," Rini straightened and looked at him, "When _are_ you planning to come here? As real as these dreams feel, in the end I have to wake up with the realization that it was just _that_—a dream."

Elios had to smile at the irritated scowl on her face. "Soon. Very soon."

"Ugh," she sniffed, "Soon is never soon enough."

"You should learn that patience is indeed a virtue," he rebuked lightly, "Gods know your mother learned the long way."

"I get it from her after all," she said almost proudly, "And enough with learning; I've had enough lessons today. I look like a bruised banana. If I knew what a bruised banana felt like, I'd probably feel like one too."

He chuckled. "Which explains these—" he gestured to her pajamas, "—rather tantalizing garments?"

Her cheeks reddened automatically, "Oh please, don't tell me you would only look at me twice if I wore those scandalous rails. To tell you the truth, those aren't nearly as comfy as these." _If he likes me only because I wear those godsforsaken things, he'll have another thing coming._

"You misunderstand again, princess," he said, shaking his head with a mock sadness, eyes warming to a deeper shade of amber. Rini realized she had never seen this side of him before—this easygoing, almost disarming personality. "You are as much a beauty to behold in blue bunny-patterned pajamas as you are in a transparent, lacy slip." As if to affirm this, he cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her as sweetly as he had done any other time.

Rini melted into his arms and enjoyed his touch as she slid her arms around his neck and held him closer. The kiss deepened and became more passionate as the moments went by, and Rini only realized he had pinned her on the bed as they paused to catch their breath. Elios positioned himself carefully so as not to put too much pressure on her, afraid of aggravating her injuries.

Elios smiled over her, his face flushed with an air of desire. "I can heal your bruises, if you want," he offered softly. "I _am_ a priest of some sort, after all."

Rini's blush came back in full force. _How subtle! _Of course she would have to be bare to reveal her various battle scars to him.

At her expression, Elios laughed and braced more of his weight on his arms, not wanting Rini to think the wrong thing. "I am serious, princess. That wasn't a badly disguised double entendre; I wouldn't think of being so forward with you."

"Good!" Rini almost squeaked, feeling relief flood her insides. Making out and touching and cuddling were good enough; she wasn't sure if she could go the next step… she couldn't even trust herself to behave if she were to allow him to overtake her with this love-fazed fog that she seemed to go through whenever he was around. It wouldn't matter if this were a dream or not; wouldn't it be more meaningful if they were to do it in real life?

"Come," he straightened and helped Rini sit up and started unbuttoning her top, either ignoring or unaware of the bright blush on her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands. _Gods, I have_ got _to stop blushing so much around him. I'm not a little schoolgirl!_

Her thoughts stopped short as she felt a warm, rough hand touch a tender bruise on her side; Elios's gaze was fixed and deep in concentration as she felt a cooling sensation not unlike Amy's spread around the area, making her relax and feel almost light-headed as the dull pains from her bruise slowly but surely ebbed into nothingness. Elios repeated this with each and every purple spot on her body, treating her as gently and tenderly as a baby. At one time, though, she felt him run his powerful hand down her hips to her ankles, checking for any injuries, then she felt it run back up again, and then back down, this time more slowly and, undeniably, in a much more sensual manner. She visibly shivered and looked around at him, and he gave her a sly smile in response. "I just want to be sure I don't miss anything," he said.

She huffed and looked away to a point in the wall. "You're lucky you aren't anyone else."

"I like to take advantage of my standing with you," he commented, kissing the back of her ear, and then resumed his ministrations on her bruises.

When the last of them cleared away from his powers, he handed her pajamas back to her and smiled as she made a face and turned away from him, clad in her decent underwear, to dress.

She let him help her button up her top again, however.

"Elios," she whispered as he finished buttoning up, "I'm glad you're with me. And I'm glad you treat me the way you do… you realize I'm as grown up as everyone else here is."

He said nothing, but his amber eyes explained it all. He had her in his arms in a blink and kissed her fiercely, catching her by surprise as her arms automatically went to dig into his soft hair. They tumbled onto the bed once more as his lips traveled past her face to leave a hot trail down her neck and collarbone, leaving her breathless.

They carried on until Rini felt that familiar tingling that told her she was about to wake up. Elios had stopped, feeling it as well, and was brushing a few strands of light pink hair way from her face as she looked at him determinedly.

"So I'll see you soon?" she searched his face for further assurance.

"I promise," he said, banishing her doubts once more. "In the meantime, do well in your training. You'll be an excellent Sailor Moon. Your mother thinks so."

Rini smiled before he leaned down to kiss her again, and then she opened her eyes to the dawn light slowly filtering through her windows. She touched her lips, warm and swollen, and she gave an experimental stretch—her body did not ache as much as it did last night.

She jumped up and stripped in front of her mirror to see her skin as spotless as the day she was born. The bruises that were on her sides and legs yesterday had vanished completely, and she grinned widely.

_Bring on the lessons,_ she thought excitedly, _I'm more than ready._

Diana barged through her bathroom door as Rini sunk herself into her warm bath. "Morning, sunshine!" she greeted happily. Her smile turned into a look of confusion as Rini gave an enthusiastic reply. "Yesterday, you wanted to snap my head off for waking you up, and now…" she threw her hands up in mock frustration, "You know what? I won't even ask. I just wanted to inform you that Mina's gonna be warming up with you today, and Lita will follow later on. Nephrite wasn't in his chambers, so we don't have to ask why she'll be getting up late." She paused with a smile until Rini stopped giggling.

"She's going to be _so_ distracted!" the princess exclaimed. "I might actually have a chance of hitting her today."

"I don't want to bet on that," Diana said, laughing as the girl glared at her, "And one more thing—your mother and father left just a while ago for business, but when she comes back in a week's time, she wants to talk to you. She didn't tell me about what, though."

Rini hid the dread of having to meet her mother and fill her in on everything that had been happening to her. She's quite sure she wouldn't disapprove of Elios, but she'd rather not tell her anything just in case… he was coming here soon anyway. "Alright, thanks, Di. I'll finish up and grab breakfast in a minute."

"Okay." Diana turned to leave, and then whipped back to face the princess. "Is that a _hickey?_"

* * *

**AN:** Alright... This chapter materialized onto the computer quickly enough, so I'm worried that this might be out of tune with the rest of the story; please tell me if it is, any form of criticism is welcome. And the ending... yeah it's important to know that the things that happen to Rini in her dreams carry on to affect her in real life; that includes bruises from assaults to love bites. ;) The training is important too; I've been wanting to give Rini some backbone for a while now, so it was fun to write about. 


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